Yeah, Ballerini... personally I think Sénéchal is a better fit. But I have a feeling Ballerini and Alaphilippe work well together, so if they put all their hopes on Ala, it could be Ballerini and Devenyns for his sake?
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Ala, Asgreen, Lampaert, Styby and De Clercq are certain to start. Then one of Devenys/Keisse as the 2nd helper and Senechal/Ballerini as the one who follows wheels and waits for the sprint(I think it will be Senechal since he's better on the bergs)
800 victories for the team since its inception in 2003.
Say what you will about Lefevere and his team but that is one hell of an achievement.
View: https://twitter.com/deceuninck_qst/status/1382380058078281731
Say what you will about Lefevere and his team but that is one hell of an achievement.
View: https://twitter.com/deceuninck_qst/status/1382380058078281731
that's not allowed here
So, that's four riders they have for 2022 so far. Putting together a sponsorship deal and a squad must be stressful beyond belief.
When, if ever, is the last time Quickstep sent a team to a Grand Tour with the express aim of going for a win in the GC?
I don't mean "Dan/Bob/Julien/Enric is going to try for stage wins in the mountains and might get in the top 10. But we also have Marcel/Fernando/Elia/Cav/Sam. And a 4-man leadout train. And only 1 other recognised climber. But we're totally serious about the GC, honest." I mean a genuine, all-in, Sky/Banesto/USPS/Jumbo "We think we can have a guy in pink/yellow in 3 weeks' time, and these 7 other guys are here to make sure he does", less-than-a-podium-is-a-failure, full-gaz effort to win a Grand Tour.
Is last year with Almeida the closest they've come? I genuinely can't remember them going to a GT not built around stage wins.
I don't mean "Dan/Bob/Julien/Enric is going to try for stage wins in the mountains and might get in the top 10. But we also have Marcel/Fernando/Elia/Cav/Sam. And a 4-man leadout train. And only 1 other recognised climber. But we're totally serious about the GC, honest." I mean a genuine, all-in, Sky/Banesto/USPS/Jumbo "We think we can have a guy in pink/yellow in 3 weeks' time, and these 7 other guys are here to make sure he does", less-than-a-podium-is-a-failure, full-gaz effort to win a Grand Tour.
Is last year with Almeida the closest they've come? I genuinely can't remember them going to a GT not built around stage wins.
Bonimenier
BANNED
In the Giro of 2014 their line-up on paper wasn't terrible in the mountains. with Brambilla, Poels, Pauwels,... in support of Uran. They did bring Petacchi, but he wasn't all that relevant anymore in the sprints. It wasn't close to the strength they have now though.
I did look back and think Rigo must have been their last rider who would count as a genuine, Grand Tour GC potential winner.
Before that it looks like you have to go back to Virenque, and have that conversation about whether Mick Rogers counts as "a potential Grand Tour contender."
Before that it looks like you have to go back to Virenque, and have that conversation about whether Mick Rogers counts as "a potential Grand Tour contender."
Yeah, and before that Garzelli in 2001, the winner of the prior Giro.
And meanwhile they've extended with a few more rather major riders.
Well at that stage you're almost getting back into the Mapei years and Rominger and Olano...
The history of the current team goes back to the Domo team in 2001 and the closest they've been in GT's was Uran 2nd in 2014 Giro and Mas 3rd in 2018 Vuelta.
The Mapei team had been a lot more succesfull in GT's but it doesn't make much sense to take into account the Mapei history for the current DQS team. Rominger is the only rider to have won GT's for Mapei (95 Giro, 94 Vuelta) while Olano and Tonkov regularly podiumed GT's. And there was also the 2002 Giro debacle with Garzelli and Evans who both came close in a way which ended the team.
The Mapei team had been a lot more succesfull in GT's but it doesn't make much sense to take into account the Mapei history for the current DQS team. Rominger is the only rider to have won GT's for Mapei (95 Giro, 94 Vuelta) while Olano and Tonkov regularly podiumed GT's. And there was also the 2002 Giro debacle with Garzelli and Evans who both came close in a way
which ended the team.
Really strong team for the grio, maybe the best! 3 riders should be able to make top 10. But I don't think they have the winner.
The history of the current team goes back to the Domo team in 2001 and the closest they've been in GT's was Uran 2nd in 2014 Giro and Mas 3rd in 2018 Vuelta.
The Mapei team had been a lot more succesfull in GT's but it doesn't make much sense to take into account the Mapei history for the current DQS team. Rominger is the only rider to have won GT's for Mapei (95 Giro, 94 Vuelta) while Olano and Tonkov regularly podiumed GT's. And there was also the 2002 Giro debacle with Garzelli and Evans who both came close in a way
I think it was a 50-50 split of riders when Domo and Mapei merged so it's 50-50 in terms of whether it makes sense to take Mapei history into account.
Still just 5 for 2022 according to PCS, but what a five they are.
For sponsors that should totally seal the deal. I wonder, though, if it could become a difficulty they are changing the habit of the last years to put emphasis on the proven helpers instead of spending money on the biggest names. Well, we will see.
Why would Evenepoel switch teams in the final week? I'm sure that's not allowed.
Wait Hodeg isn’t getting his shot at the Giro sprints? Looks like the guy is finished at least at this team. And neither Cavendish nor Ballerini get his place? I don’t like this at all. Id like to see Almeida or Evenepoel do well and it’s fair enough that the team is based around them, but QS should always have a sprinter at a GT...
Hodeg has showed nothing to deserve a place.
Ballerini won Omloop and have struggled since.
Even Cavendish in his peak had troubles getting through the Tour and especially when the mountains got high and the stages got hard. Giro is in some ways tougher when it comes to that. He also had help and riders dedicated to him so they would make it within the time limit. There is no room for that in the selection while tryna support Almeida and Evenepoel.
I like that they have gone with a GC-team for this. Especially when they have two so very exciting riders on their rosters.
Bonimenier
BANNED
Hodeg is lucky he even gets a paycheck at this point. I thought they would have got rid of him before last season.
Honoré. Two best performances for the team so far this season in a stagerace GC.
Don't make me rant a second time today by insulting Álvaro...
No, he didn't show anything this year, but he's still the most valuable rider any WT team has. (If DQS has no use for him anymore they can send him to me. )
I can understand they didn't bring a sprinter, I think you have to decide whether you are serious about sprints or GC, aiming at both too easily fails in both areas.
No, he didn't show anything this year, but he's still the most valuable rider any WT team has.
(If DQS has no use for him anymore they can send him to me. )I can understand they didn't bring a sprinter, I think you have to decide whether you are serious about sprints or GC, aiming at both too easily fails in both areas.
I agree that Hodeg has done nothing to earn his shot. But very recently Lefevere was saying he had been promised this Giro as sprinter.
Ballerini had great early season form and then that ebbed away. But he’s had a month off and looked strong in the leadout for Bennett today. Surely he’s worth a go in his home GT and he’s a capable domestique for the other stages too. Cavendish is Cavendish, win or lose he will bring big sponsor attention and as the sprinter with the second most wins this year (lol) he might get a stage or two.
If Evenepoel had been smashing prep races and was going in as a huge favourite for pink, fine, give him the full eight man team. But it’s his first race back from injury and they are nominally putting Almeida in the top leaders role with Remco as co-leader. If they don’t think that they are actually going to win GC, I don’t see what they gain by taking a sixth full time domestique rather than five and one free lancing sprinter. If you are taking the guy who won Omloop, he can certainly do a domestiques job too.
Mostly it just rubs me the wrong way because they are Quickstep, the number one sprint and classics team of the recent era.
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